NASA May Test New Method to Defend Earth From Asteroids
Inky Binky
Posts: 2,261 Forum Member
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Last year NASA announced that they're planning on capturing a small asteroid, tow it and put it in a stable orbit. Then have astronauts repeatedly visit it for scientific & exploration purposes. Personally I find this more exciting than revisiting the moon. Anyway....
If this goes as plan, they will demonstrate the first in-space test of something called "enhanced gravity tractor" (they couldn't come up with a better name?). What is it? If an asteroid is on a collision course with earth, a robotic probe will fly alongside it for months or years, gradually nudging it off course via a slight gravitational tug.
It all sounds very science fiction but so did going to the moon.
LINK
If this goes as plan, they will demonstrate the first in-space test of something called "enhanced gravity tractor" (they couldn't come up with a better name?). What is it? If an asteroid is on a collision course with earth, a robotic probe will fly alongside it for months or years, gradually nudging it off course via a slight gravitational tug.
It all sounds very science fiction but so did going to the moon.
LINK
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Might help with the climate too...